


Tenebrae

by orphan_account



Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Fluff and Smut, M/M, Mpreg, Omega Verse, Sibling Incest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-27
Packaged: 2018-06-08 11:21:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6852589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leo is the last of the Nohrian nobles to present. Even Elise, the youngest, has presented as an Omega. Ashamed, Leo claims the Beta status, but what happens when he's wrong?</p>
<p>Alpha!Xander/Omega!Leo, mentions of some other pairings that I won't list right now. </p>
<p>tw: Miscarriage</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on a roll with all this Xander/Leo garbage! :D
> 
> Also like, Ao3 doesn't have a tag for bp? Leo has all the junk, he has a vag and a penis.

As his siblings discussed battle tactics and formations, Leo kept his mouth shut.

He was positioned towards the front, as is expected of a Nohrian Beta, along with Kamui, and his Alpha siblings Camilla and Xander. Elise, being an Omega and a healer was positioned in the middle with other healers and important Omegas, with Betas and Alphas flanking them on either side.

“Nyx can go here. She’s the only one with the Nosferatu spell learned and can be very helpful if positioned beside Silas,” Kamui said, moving the small piece that represented Nyx on the map.

“Nah,” Niles added, “she’s in heat, she needs to be further back or everyone will lose focus.”

Kamui groaned.

“She didn’t mark it when we did rounds earlier this week,” Camilla huffed, tossing her voluminous purple hair over her shoulder.

“She started today. Arthur is watching her tent,” Elise chirped.

Omegas were historically not allowed in battle. Their heats were sometimes unpredictable, and an Omega in heat could ruin the discipline of the most skilled Alpha warrior. There were many stories of enemies using Omegas to sabotage each other, forcing the opponents Alphas into a rut, but it could be a double-edged blade as their own units were affected. Only bonded Alphas could resist the temptation of another Omega. Betas were naturally well-suited to control themselves around both Alphas and Omegas. Their musculature made them weaker warriors, but their natural abilities were resourceful.

However, their war against Hoshido had been the first in history to tactically use Omegas in the thick of battle. By keeping a detailed record of the Omegas heats, they could deploy only those who would be fit to fight. Just in case, they were also kept a reasonable distance away from Alphas, and by using Betas to bridge the gap between them, they were always protected.

It was a strategy Kamui came up with and was very helpful since they could make use of more people during battle.

“Hoshido’s forces will be upon us in two days,” Xander said, moving the pieces that represented Hoshido’s army closer to their camp. “According to our sources, it’s a small team, so we can probably afford to lose Nyx and whatever bonded Alpha will stand guard.”

Because the smell of an Omegas heat had such a strong effect on Alphas, the group quickly realized that without intervention, their Omegas would be abused by the throngs of Alphas surrounding them. To combat this, bonded Alphas were placed on guard, to keep others from approaching the Omega, but that meant two people were unavailable every battle when an Omega was in heat.

Leo shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He was the only Nohrian noble who hadn’t presented yet. Even Elise, his younger sister, presented as an Omega at the tender age of 13. His family was under the impression he was a Beta, because of his stature and aloofness towards both Alphas and Omegas, but every time a situation came up with an Omega in heat, Leo felt uneasy. He saw how it inconvenienced the group, and he had managed to make it this far already, becoming an invaluable member to the team. He was pretty sure when he did present, it would be as a Beta, but sometimes he wasn’t sure.

“What bonded Alphas do we have available?”

“Currently Arthur, Niles, Benny, Camilla, and Gunter. Kaze is a highly capable Beta, so he could guard as well,” Kamui answered, looking at a list of their army.

“Put them all on shifts. They need to have enough time for their training,” Leo added, and they went back to formulating their plan to stop the advancement of Hoshido’s army.

When they were finished, their meeting was over, and those in attendance returned to whatever it was they were doing, whether it was chores, practice, or socialization. Leo, not liking crowds, hung back until the tent was mostly cleared before leaving.

“Leo,” Xander called and the younger brother whipped around, almost instinctively, to his older brother’s voice.

“Yes?” he answered. Xander stood and walked over to him.

“Good job today. Your mind is as sharp as ever. I’m sure your plan to add more fighters to combat the blitz group from Hoshido was a brilliant idea,” Xander complimented, clapping Leo’s shoulder. The younger blonde blushed slightly at the praise.

“Thank you,” he mumbled, and he felt Xander’s hand cup the back of his neck, holding it there as a symbol of dominance and protection.

“You’re welcome. But you should speak up more. Both you and Kamui always have excellent and innovative ideas.”

He removed his hand and Leo felt warmer.

It was common for Alphas to hold the neck of their lower ranking loved ones. It was a sign of superiority but also an intimate connection that showed mutual respect and protection.

“My lord!” Odin exclaimed as Leo left the war tent.

The young prince did well not to show his surprise at his blonde retainer’s outburst.

“What is it?”

“I have come to ask after what you desire for sustenance.” He said, striking his odd, but characteristic pose. Why couldn’t he just be normal?

Leo sighed.

“Anything is fine. Just make sure it has tomatoes.”

He sent him off after that, deciding to go practice for a while. He advanced his skills with Brynhildr until dusk, and stopped at his uncharacteristic exhaustion. He usually could practice much longer, and his muscles felt weak. He could feel a clenching in his abdomen and realized he hadn’t had dinner.

He made his way to the mess hall where others were currently dining.

The chatter was a pleasant contrast to the silence from practicing, and he retrieved a dish from Odin, taking a seat beside Niles and Charlotte.

“Oh, Lord Leo, I saw you practicing earlier, you looked so valiant,” Charlotte praised, batting long eyelashes. Niles grimaced at her attitude, but dug into his food.

“Yes, I’m just doing my best to be prepared for our next battle.”

Charlotte giggled and continued to chatter amicably, heaping on the praise. Leo let it roll off of him, not interested in anyone who put on airs to gain favor. Another stab of pain in his abdomen made Leo wince, and Niles looked at him in concern.

“I’m fine,” Leo grumbled, standing to clean away his meal. He had lost his appetite.

\------

The day of battle arrived just as everyone predicted. A small force led by a low-level general was on their way to blitz their camp.

Xander had to give them credit. In the face of mass, unexpected interception, none of them ran, but instead fought on full.

There were still a great number of them, and Xander rushed in to break their formation. Siegfried hummed with energy in his hand and his blood rushed in the thick of battle. He cut down foe after foe, slicing through the light Hoshidan armor like paper. His focus was unrivaled and he felt as is time was moving slow, making his enemies as sluggish as sloths. His body trembled with the excitement of the fight.

The clash of metal and screams of the fallen were music to his ears, and he saw Camilla fly overhead, zapping foes with her lightning with pinpoint accuracy. Kamui’s roars in his dragon form were steely and made even skilled warriors go weak in the knees.

The scent of blood and sweat kept him honed in on the battle, seeing red, but the air changed and another smell assaulted his nostrils.

An Omega in heat was on the battlefield.

Xander turned, searching for the source of the smell, and in the quick moment of broken concentration, the flat of a thin katana slammed against his temple. His ears were ringing and blood trickled town his forehead. He flung out his arm, channeling his energy into a blast from Siegfried. Frantically, he looked around, watching his other siblings and comrades fighting. Yards away, Leo collapsed screaming, clutching his stomach and panting.

Xander didn’t have time to react to the surprise of his younger brother presenting as an Omega in the middle of a battle, nonetheless, and tried to devise a plan to get Leo out of the battle.

“Camilla!” He roared, and her wyvern swooped down. She pinched her nose.

“Who is that?” she yelled over the clang of metal. An arrow whizzed past her head and she gasped, her wyvern rearing.

“Get Leo,” he shouted, pointing in that direction, countering the swing of a club.

“But he’s-“ Camilla paused, shooting a bolt of lightning at an approaching enemy, “-a Beta. Why does he smell?”

“Just get him!” Xander growled, and as the oldest Alpha, the harsh command went unquestioned.

He continued fighting, barking commands at his comrades as they got distracted by Leo’s smell. He hoped that the damage wouldn’t be too drastic, but they were all flexible so the setback didn’t destroy them.

However, they had many more injured than they had planned for. They returned to camp battered and bruised, giving the healers a run for their money, and Xander, still running on adrenaline, was furious. He demanded from Elise the strongest smelling herb she could find, and he shoved them up his nose, not really caring how ridiculous he looked. He was bandaged, and he decided to forgo a shirt as he stood to leave.

“Big brother!” Elise called as he pushed his way out of the infirmary. “You need to rest!”

Xander ignored her and angrily made his way to Leo’s tent, growling at Camilla, who was watching over his tent.

“Move.”

Camilla, not able to resist his command, stepped aside and Xander ripped open the flap.

Leo looked up at him in surprise, face tinted pink and breathing heavily from where he sat on his bed.

“Xander-”

“How dare you?” the older blonde snapped. Leo whined and hung his head. “You lied to me, you lied to your _whole_ family.”

“I’m sorry,” he whimpered, trying to make himself as small as possible.

“And not only that, you put this whole army in danger!” he yelled. Leo was glad that the royal tents and pavilions were separated from everyone else, elsewise everyone in the camp would hear Xander bellowing. Leo struggled to hold back tears. His heart ached for disappointing Xander, not only because he was an Alpha, but because he was his brother.

“Why didn’t you tell anyone you hadn’t actually presented?” Xander asked angrily, pinching the bridge of his nose as the scent of clove started becoming ineffective.

Leo remained silent and he could feel fat tears drip from his eyes.

“Speak!”

“I was embarrassed!” Leo blurted, his Omega instincts to obey overriding his will. “Elise had already presented before me, and I thought that it would make _sense_ so I lied, and I didn’t think…” His sentence trailed off as he took in a shaky breath. He was feeling overwhelmed. Xander, fresh from battle, smelled delicious to Leo’s now heightened Omega senses, but he felt guilty and upset about his choices. His body was on fire and his insides were twisting in pain.

Xander sighed and shook his head when he realized that scolding Leo now wasn’t the best choice. He let his anger get the better of him.

“I am very disappointed in you Leo, but we will talk about this in length later.”

Leo was experiencing his first heat, which was always worse for men than women because their bodies needed to develop the proper anatomy. And because Leo hadn’t presented at an earlier age, he was put into a dangerous position as years’ worth of hormones were rushing through him.

Leo nodded, and grabbed his stomach.

“I’ll get an Alpha to come, um….” Xander blushed as he spoke, knowing that Leo would need someone to take care of him sexually or risk overheating.

“No!” Leo wailed. He didn’t want anyone else to see him in this pitiful state, and he didn’t want anyone to see him begging for sex. It was embarrassing enough that he was an Omega, since it was the lowest ranking, but he couldn’t bear anyone to see him during this delicate and intimate time. He had to retain some of his decency.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?” Xander asked quizzically. Of all people, Leo would know what would happen if he was left alone. He was the most intelligent and knowledged of all the Nohrian siblings.

Leo finally looked up at Xander and the older brother’s breath hitched.

“I c-can’t…” Leo breathed, “I can’t.”

Xander clenched his jaw in anger as he realized Leo’s pride was causing even more problems. They needed to get this problem squared away because Xander could smell Leo’s heat through the clove, and his resolve would crack soon.

“Leo, don’t be ridiculous,” Xander scoffed. “I will send Niles later-“

“No!” Leo growled, his body shaking as he defied Xander. Leo tried to pour through all the possible Alphas that he wouldn’t be mortified letting them see him like this, but he was drawing blanks. Niles was definitely at the bottom of his list. “I’d rather die.”

Xander’s need to protect Leo was still controlling his decisions, but it was snapping as his primal Alpha instincts rushed forth.

“Is there anyone,” he huffed, “that you would feel comfortable with? I assume it would have to be someone who has already seen you like this and-“

He stopped speaking and felt as if someone had drenched him in water when he realized there was only one person who fit the bill.

Himself.

“Leo,” he warned. Leo dropped his gaze back to his lap and clenched his fists.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered.

Xander didn’t really have a choice. There were no methods to help an Omega through a rough heat, and the rate of unpaired Omega deaths during heat was too high for Xander to ignore. He contemplated just sending Niles anyway, knowing that he was capable enough, but deep down, Xander didn’t trust anyone else helping his little brother through his first heat. He cared about Leo, and respected his opinions, so sending Niles against his wishes would be the worst thing he could do.

“Fine,” he sighed, “I’ll be back. I need to get a few things in order.”

Xander took the cloves out of his nose to breathe in and cool his head when he left the tent.

“I’m going to go get some things from Elise,” he said to Camilla. “When I return I don’t want to see anyone on this side of camp. This isn’t to be known by anyone outside of the family.”

The eldest sister nodded, having heard the entire conversation from outside.

Xander made his way back to the infirmary, and after all his adrenaline wore off, he realized how exhausted he was from battle. His wounds were not pressing, but his muscles were sore and he felt emotionally drained.

“Elise,” Xander said when he entered the tent. His youngest sister popped up and ran to him.

“What happened? Everyone’s chattering that you were yelling at Leo,” she said in concern. Xander beckoned her outside and he pulled her away from where others could hear.

“I’m going to be taking care of him,” Xander explained, ignoring her curiosity, “and I need you to give me things to help him through his heat.”

Elise stood with her mouth open in shock.

“You are not to tell _anyone_ outside of our family, and father cannot know, do you understand?”

“I-I guess,” Elise replied, “I’ll put together something for him.”

Xander thanked her and waited patiently as she flitted around the large tent designed for healing, grabbing herbs and other things.

“These should be used to make tea,” she explained, pointing to a small pouch of ground herbs, “it’ll help with the pain. This-“ she said, pointing to a dried, blackish plant, “is for him to chew for fast relief, and this here-“ she said, holding up a strangely soft and porous rock, “should be frozen every now and again to place, um…y’know, between his legs, to help with soreness.”

Xander nodded at her instruction.

“What about this?” he asked, opening a jar of foul-smelling goo.

“Oh, that is medicine to help the healing when his Omega-parts form. It just needs to be rubbed around the area to prevent infection and facilitate proper healing.”

Pink dusted Xander’s cheeks but he nodded, taking all the items in the small basket she offered.

“I’ve also included some towels. One should be wettened and cooled to help combat his fever. You’ll put it on his head,” Elise chirped.

“I know what to do with the towel Elise, but thank you.”

She smiled and nodded before Xander walked back to Leo’s tent.

Was he having misgivings for what he was about to do? Yes, but he also didn’t really care. He loved Leo and he wanted him safe, and honestly, there was no one better than Xander to do that. And it wasn’t as if he wouldn’t enjoy pleasuring his younger brother, even though that might not be the most appropriate thing for brothers to do.

He made his way back to Leo’s tent, and was consumed with the thickness of his heat as soon as he pulled back the flap. It was suffocating and Xander’s dick hardened as he took a deep breath. On the bed, Leo was whining, curled into a ball and clawing at his stomach. There were tears in his eyes when he looked at Xander.

“It hurts,” he whimpered and Xander made short work of the distance between them, turning Leo to lay on his back. Momentarily, his own lust could be ignored as Leo’s safety was in danger.

“What hurts?” he asked huskily, his mouth watering at the sight of Leo so flushed and disheveled. He looked down and found his answer in the bloodstains on the bed. He ripped off Leo’s pants, revealing the bloody mess where his skin was ripping and forming his vagina under a hard dick. If Xander hadn’t been a seasoned fighter, he might have been sick. While he was staring at his brother naked from the waist down, there was nothing very alluring about the carnage between his legs.

Transitions for male Omegas were the worst. Females were already born with a vulva, and female Omegas simply grew a uterus within, which was painful, but not as painful as a male’s transition. At birth, all men have penises and the anatomy changes during puberty for all except Alpha males. Alpha female’s vulvas simply grew into dicks, but there was nothing comparable to the pain of a male Omega’s first heat. The testes and penis shrunk and moved forward to make room for a vulva to form. The process was sometimes interrupted and it would never form right, or the scars would never fully heal. It was for this reason that Omega males had higher mortality rates, and those who survived usually couldn’t conceive or carry a child to term.

Xander took some of the towels in the basket and started to clear away the blood, being delicate around Leo’s sensitive skin, but despite his tenderness, Leo cried as Xander touched him. Feeling heartbroken at Leo’s pains, he paused to make the tea for Leo. As he waited for it to steep, he handed his younger brother the thick plant Elise had given him.

“Chew this,” Xander instructed and Leo took it into his mouth eagerly, his pain lessening after a while. Gently, Xander rubbed the slimy substance from the jar under Leo’s balls, feeling where his skin was parting to form feathery lips. Leo groaned and squirmed away from his touch.

“It’ll help,” Xander comforted, “I promise.”

Leo ground his teeth, crushing the dark leaves in his mouth. As the pain dimmed, Leo stopped squirming, and Xander cleared away the remaining blood after applying a generous amount of the medicine to his half-formed labia. After Xander finished, Leo spit the now pasty plant onto the ground and groaned.

“Fuck,” he cursed, but like Xander promised, he could only feel a dull ache between his legs.

Xander brushed some of Leo’s hair out of his face with his clean hand and pulled off his black headband as he stood to get the tea. From his understanding, this would probably help ease the discomfort for a while. He poured a cup, and gave it to the Omega.

Leo, fevered and desperate, gulped down the bitter liquid. Xander brushed his knuckles across Leo’s flushed skin, and when he did, he could feel him burning up. The Alpha quickly went to work undressing him, until the younger prince was laying naked on the bed, breathing heavily.

The older boy cursed as he admired Leo’s body.

He was lean, but sinewy muscles gave definition to his soft, pale skin which was now dusted with pink. Leo’s form was slender and delicate-looking, but Xander knew he was also strong, and not in any way fragile.

Tearing his gaze away, Xander took deep breaths to clear his head. Of course, this didn’t work as well as he thought it would, considering he inhaled the scent of Leo’s heat. He dropped the porous rock in a bucket of cool water and dipped a towel in it as well, focusing himself on using conventional methods to help lower Leo’s fever. Delicately, he placed the wet towel on Leo’s head and he hummed in appreciation.

Xander gave another self-indulgent look to his younger brother and realized how much he wanted him. As he watched Leo’s chest rise and fall, his attention was directed to a pink, pert nipple.

The Alpha growled low in his throat and started sucking on them.

“Aah!” Leo moaned, arching his back, “Xander!”

He couldn’t control himself as his erection throbbed against his trousers and the older brother teased Leo’s nipples until he was begging for release. If Xander wasn’t so turned on, he would have teased his brother with how short he lasted.

Xander chanced a look to Leo’s penis and moaned. His dick was red and dripping, and wet, gurgling noises came from his vagina when he shifted his hips, thrusting up desperately for contact.

“Please!” Leo gasped, brown eyes darker than Xander had ever seen them. He smirked and slowly rubbed his brother’s dick. Leo clenched his teeth and after a few strokes, came painfully in his Xander’s hand.

After his orgasm, he sobbed, the pain of his forming sex organ heightened by his arousal. Hearing his cries, Xander apologized and nuzzled into Leo’s neck, licking at the swollen scent glands. When Leo’s brown eyes were glazed over and his sobs turned into occasional whimpers, Xander stopped.

He knew he couldn’t please Leo in the way he needed right now, and that was driving Xander crazy. If the sensation of being jerked off was too much, than knotting him would cause him immense pain. Despite being as hard as a rock, Xander willed himself to not touch Leo again. Not during the delicate process of the formation of his sex organs.

The towel that was on Leo’s head was now warm, and Xander stood to take it back to the bucket. He dipped his hand in the refreshing water and grabbed the rock (which, now that Xander was actually considering it, he realized it was a hard sponge), feeling now would be an appropriate time to use it.

Seeing Leo’s fatigue, he placed it down between his legs and the Omega whined.

“Keep it there. It’ll help with the soreness.”

He grabbed the wet towel for Leo’s head and also another non-bloodied towel, to clean his cum from his stomach.

“Where did you learn all of this?” Leo asked blearily, already starting to succumb to the loving embrace of sleep.

“Elise told me,” he replied before climbing into bed with Leo. The Omega groaned.

“That’s embarrassing,” he whispered and Xander lightly kissed his temple. Without being driven by desire, Xander realized that he wouldn’t mind protecting and taking care of Leo in any way that he needed to, and that his love for his younger brother had changed due to the circumstances.

Xander wrapped his arm around his younger brother, who cuddled into him, and he felt content that Leo was fine of this level of affection.

The two fell into a restless, fitful sleep. Every so often, Xander would awake to Leo writhing in pain, and he would give him another cup of the now cold tea and reapply the salve to his vulva, which had been forming at an alarmingly fast rate.

Xander was the first to wake up in the morning, and found Leo sleeping soundly at his side. Per usual morning routine, his dick was standing. He figured it didn’t help that he was smelling Leo all night. The younger prince was still hot with fever and was drenched in sweat, but he didn’t seem to be in pain, for which Xander was grateful.

Gently, Xander slipped out of his arms, and without waking the younger prince, pulled his legs apart to check his healing. He took the sponge, which got covered in blood from fresh tearing in the skin, and tossed it into the bucket of water.

Blood cake the inside of his thighs but it looked like everything was mostly formed, which meant the most painful part was over. Leo would be sore for another day or two as his body fine-tuned the positioning of everything, though.

Xander felt a moan slip out of his mouth while examining his brother’s intimate parts and he felt his member throb. Realizing he could get nothing done until he took care of his problem, he laid back on the bed, breathing heavily. Leo shuffled in his sleep, cuddling into his older brother’s side and Xander wrapped his arm around him protectively.

Slowly, Xander pulled his cock from his pants and began to rub it with his free hand, sighing at the much-needed contact. He couldn’t remember the last time he was this hard, and his erection ached to be buried deep inside Leo.

He quickened his pace, pleasuring himself with the image of Leo’s pink, glistening hole. He thought about how Leo squirmed under his touch the night before, and his wanton moans as he came in Xander’s hand.

“Mmm,” Xander hummed, feeling his balls tighten. His eyebrows furrowed in concentration as he furiously stroked himself. As he felt himself get closer, his knot formed, bulging the base of his cock.

“Xander…?”

The older brother stopped, panting heavily before looking at Leo.

He felt a little awkward getting caught masturbating by his little brother. They shared brief eye contact where Xander’s warm and firey brown eyes stared into Leo’s sleep-ridden but intense hues. Leo blushed and broke the eye contact, examining the situation. His eyes went wide when he saw Xander’s massive length, and he looked at Xander surprisingly again.

“Sorry,” he breathed in a raspy voice and Leo shook his head slightly before he kissed him, carefully crawling on top of the larger man and licking his tongue against his lips.

Xander groaned and continued pleasuring himself, knowing that Leo was giving him the permission to do so.

Leo became aroused quickly because of the dominating scent Xander was emitting and sloppily began licking at Xander’s scent glands, drawing out low moans from his older brother. His smell was oppressive and heavy, and every gasp from the Alpha made Leo harder. It was within Omega nature to be pleasured by their partner’s arousal and he could feel his fully formed vulva throb in pleasure as well as a slick feeling between his legs that was all at once confusing but pleasant.

Xander bucked into his hand as Leo bit down on his neck, admiring the delicious little noises his brother was making.

“Leo,” Xander moaned before coming harshly and unexpectedly into his hand. Leo tilted his head down and watched as the Alpha’s dick spilled load after load. Even after his orgasm was complete, milky white fluid continued to ooze out until the knot disappeared.

“Sorry,” Xander said gruffly, wiping off his toned abs with the bedsheet. Leo shook his head and laid down on top of Xander, feeling his cool body against his fevered skin.

“You’re still burning up,” Xander said breathily in concern, trying to control his breathing.

“It’s going to be that way until we…” he trailed off, not knowing yet how to speak so plainly of sex with the man who had always been his older brother, even with the rapidity of their evolving relationship.

Xander nodded and stood, putting on his clothes from the day before. He needed to retrieve clean, cold water and also some breakfast for the two of them. He told Leo that he would be back and he went to retrieve the things he needed, making sure to stay away from others. It would be obvious to everyone what was happening if Xander walked around camp smelling like an Omega and sex.

They spent the rest of the day bonding and Xander cared for Leo well, making sure his fever stayed down and occasionally rubbing down his warm body with the cool towels.

It was the middle of the day, and Xander had just got them lunch. The two ate peacefully, growing comfortably accustomed to each other before a dull ache settled on Leo’s backside. Xander watched in confusion as Leo adjusted his posture, alternating between sitting up very straight and slouching.

“Are you okay?” Xander asked after watching the scene for a while.

“I’ll be fine,” he grumbled, shoveling more food into his mouth. He continued with his strange movements.

When they were finished, and Xander took up their dishes, he asked again, drawing out a sigh from Leo.

“There’s soreness in my back,” he replied, reaching his hand back to indicate where. Xander moved behind him and kissed his shoulder. “I think it’s cramps”

“Lay down,” he instructed, and Leo complied, Xander straddling his waist. He started massaging the small of Leo’s back and the younger brother groaned in appreciation. As the tension ebbed away, Leo began to feel better, thinking that it would be nice to spend all of his heats with Xander, feeling pampered and loved.

The thought made him blush and without warning, Leo began coughing violently. Xander worried that he was choking and flipped his younger brother over, looking at his face with concern.

“I think it’s just the fever,” Leo said weakly and Xander, suddenly feeling the urge to cover his brother’s mouth with his own, kissed him.

Leo felt warmth that wasn’t from his fever spread through his body and he realized that the feeling was love.

The next day, his fever was worse.

Xander had his hands full making sure Leo’s body temperature didn’t elevate any higher. The younger blonde could barely sit up on his own and slept most of the day away. Seeing his brother in such a destitute state, Xander felt like it was time to help him in the way he needed, knowing that what he had been doing so far were only substitutes.

Leo’s clothes had been discarded earlier in an effort to cool him off and now Xander stripped too.

“Wha-?” Leo asked blearily, seeing Xander toss his shirt on the other side of the tent. His vision was weaker due to his watery eyes and he started wondering if the fever was making him delirious.

Without answering Leo’s question, Xander stepped out of his pants, his heart racing at the thought of what he was about to do, because once he broke this boundary with Leo, there was no going back.

He crawled on top of his younger brother and kissed him lightly. He could feel the intense heat radiating off of Leo’s body. Leo reacted slowly, but deepened the kiss, pulling Xander closer, knowing that the time had come. Xander’s dick hardened and he broke the kiss, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths. He started licking at Leo’s scent glands until they were red and the room smelled of his hormones. The Omega moaned, grinding his hips up weakly for any form of friction. The skin on skin contact set Xander’s flesh on fire and he trailed his kisses down, leaving love bites scattered across Leo’s torso.

“Xander,” Leo moaned, threading his fingers in his brother’s golden hair. The sound went straight to Xander’s cock and he began toying with Leo’s vagina. The young prince writhed weakly, his new formed anatomy highly sensitive. Xander kept licking his way down Leo’s chest, paying special attention to his nipples, before nipping at his younger brother’s inner thighs.

Leo squeaked and brought his mouth up to stifle the sound, his thighs trembling from fever exhaustion and anticipation. This close to Leo’s velvety lips, Xander could see the slick in his pink hole. Astounded at one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen, the older prince slowly licked Leo’s swollen sex and the younger prince keened at the feeling of the smooth muscle against his most sensitive areas.

“Nnngh, yes,” he breathed, rolling his hips for more. Xander took Leo’s slender dick in his hand and pumped it slowly.

Leo had never felt this much pleasure before in his life, and he could feel the heat pooling in his abdomen. He arched his back at the new experience and tangled his thin fingers in Xander’s hair. His body, which was already burning from heat fever felt even hotter.

Xander sucked and swirled his tongue around Leo’s soft fold, under he was dripping, mewling in pleasure. He whined as Xander pulled away from him.

“Please, more,” he begged lightly. Xander admired Leo this way.

His legs were parted eagerly, his wet hole fluttering and his hard dick twitching as Leo panted, his fingers tugging at Xander’s hair and his other hand clenching the bed until his knuckles were white. Xander could get used to seeing Leo coming undone like this, and as he thought on that, he realized he never wanted anyone else seeing Leo in this way again.

He went back down on the Omega, but took his dick in his mouth instead, plunging two fingers inside Leo’s eager hole.

“Oh y-yes,” he moaned, his grip on Xander’s blonde locks getting tighter. Leo ran his other hand through his own hair, brushing his bangs out of his hot face. The sight made Xander groan and the vibrations went through Leo’s cock in the most appealing of ways.

Xander scissored his fingers in Leo’s warm, wet walls and his own member throbbed as he imagined burying his dick into the impossibly tight heat. Now he understood why male Omegas were such sought-after sexual partners. The way their anatomy formed made the vaginal opening smaller than on females, meaning more pleasure.

Leo clenched around his fingers as he felt his orgasm building.

“Aa-aah, h-hurry,” Leo gasped, “put it inside me, _please_!”

Xander released Leo’s dick with a wet pop and he stuck a third finger in the puckered hole, watching with pleasure the way Leo fucked himself on his fingers. The Omega removed his hand from Xander’s hair and brought it down to his shoulder, digging his nails into the skin there. The older prince licked his lips at the sight of his younger brother unraveling under him. The way Leo’s mouth hung open as he moaned and the knit in his brow from the building pleasure was incredibly hot, and he removed his fingers from Leo and lined himself up with the Omega’s heat.

“Are you ready?” Xander asked, voice hoarse from arousal. Leo gave a small nod and Xander grabbed his narrow hips, pushing past the tight ring of muscle. Leo screamed in pain as his brother pushed inside him.

“Fuck,” Xander hissed. “Leo, _relax_.”

The young Omega took deep breaths and Xander inched in again, before feeling resistance again. It didn’t help that Leo was already painfully tight, but if he didn’t relax his muscles, there was no way they could continue.

Tears of pain formed in Leo’s eyes and he bit into his hand to silence his cries.

“Xander,” he choked out, and his name on Leo’s lips made his dick pulse. “It’s t-too, aaahh, big, I c-can’t…”

Xander tried to control his ragged breaths and kissed Leo deeply. The temporary distraction calmed Leo down, but the two were currently stuck.

“I know you can do it, Leo,” Xander said encouragingly, kissing away the tears that rolled down his cheek. Leo bit his lip and nodded before Xander pushed forward a little more.

Leo hissed in pain and his nails bit into Xander’s skin so hard that they drew blood. Xander grabbed the Omega’s leg and hitched his ankle onto his other shoulder, and when he did, he slid into Leo easier. The younger prince moaned as he took more and more of Xander’s length into him, the feeling of being filled satisfying but not quite pleasurable yet.

Xander lovingly kissed Leo’s neck, peppering light kisses along his sensitive skin. “Almost there,” he whispered in a strained tone as he felt the last of his member sliding into Leo agonizingly slow.

When he was finally sheathed, they both let out shaky sighs. It wasn’t as bad as Leo had thought it was going to be. There was still discomfort as he was stretched to the limit and he gritted his teeth against the pain, breathing raggedly as he adjusted to the feeling of Xander’s massive cock inside of him.

Xander had to force himself to stay still as he waited for Leo to get more comfortable. All he wanted to do was to bury his aching dick into his brother again and again until all that was left of Leo was an incoherent mess. He panted into the crook of Leo’s neck, earning a light hum.

“Move,” Leo hissed and Xander rolled his hips, forcing his cock deeper into his brother. As he slammed into Leo’s sweet spot, the Omega moaned, the lewd sound tearing forth from his throat. “ _Yes!_ ”

Xander’s resolve snapped and he pulled out quickly before ramming his sizable girth into Leo’s wet cave. Leo enveloped Xander’s neck with his arms, clawing desperately at his back. He pulled both of his knees up and Xander pounded his sensitive insides.

He needed to be closer to Xander, the younger blonde thought, as the Alphas growls and pants synched with Leo’s rapid heartbeat. As his tight hole was fucked, he bit at his older brother’s scent glands, tasting the heavy scent of arousal that reeked of Xander.

“More,” Leo begged, not caring how pathetic he sounded, he just wanted to be consumed by Xander and he needed to feel everything.

Xander gave a low moan in reply and quickened his pace, his grip on Leo’s waist bruising. The Alpha fucked him mercilessly and hot tears of pleasure ran down Leo’s face as he called Xander’s name like a prayer. As he felt his release bubbling in the pit of his stomach, he realized what he wanted.

He wanted to be bonded to Xander.

He never wanted anyone else to touch him like this, and he doubted anyone else in the whole world could give Leo the same astronomical pleasure that Xander could.

“B-bond with me,” Leo whimpered, and Xander, panting from exertion, questioned him.

“Aahhh, Xander,” he moaned as he felt his toes curl, “I o-only, nnnghh, I only want you, oh _gods_ ”

Leo’s confession made Xander impossibly hard, and he felt his knot form inside Leo, forcing his thrusts even deeper than before.

“Leo,” Xander moaned, “are you sure?”

Bonding was the eternal joining of two mates. They would be life partners and their bodies would reject the allure of all others. Sex and knotting was one thing, but bonding was a life decision, to ask to be bonded was the highest form of love and intimacy.

“Yes,” Leo breathed, “I need you- _Ah!_ ” His high-pitched moan stopped his words and he knew he was only moments from orgasm. He needed Xander to bond with him _now_.

He brought their lips together in the most passionate kiss they shared. Leo’s hands cupped Xander’s face and their tongues battled with each other in an open-mouthed, sloppy embrace. Leo panted into the kiss, each moan climbing higher in pitch as he neared completion.

“Oh g-gods, the knot,” Leo screamed, feeling the thick muscle inside him throb. Xander groaned and bit down on Leo’s neck harshly, forming the bond between them. Leo did the same as he came, body writhing as he experienced the most intense orgasm of his life. His hot walls squeezed around Xander and he shot his load into Leo, coming violently. Leo could taste blood in his mouth as his bite on Xander’s shoulder broke flesh and the Alpha fucked his hole erratically until he rode out his orgasm.

When they were both done, they unhinged their mouths from each other’s shoulders, a light yellow ring forming where their bite mark was.

“Oh gods,” Xander breathed, laying on top of Leo as his arms gave out. He had sex before, but it was never like this. Leo’s legs wrapped around Xander’s waist as they stayed connected from the knot and he kissed along the Alpha’s neck. His fever was gone now, even though his body was still hot from the sex.

The two shifted so they were laying on their sides, careful of the knot, and cuddled.

“So we’re bonded now,” Leo mumbled against Xander’s warm chest, and he heard a light chuckle from the other man.

“Yes, we are,” he responded, threading his fingers through Leo’s hair and untangling the clumps of tangles that had forms.

Leo purred, feeling completely satisfied, and Xander kissed the top of his head. They cuddled until Xander was finished pumping Leo with his seed and he pulled out. The Omega whimpered at the loss.

Xander wouldn’t mind being there for all of Leo’s heats, and he fingered the golden ring that was the symbol of their bond, completely contended.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So a couple of time skips or w/e, elsewise this would be 20 chapters of angst/fluff and nobody has time for that. As mentioned in the summary, miscarriage is hit upon a lot in this chapter sooooo yeah.
> 
> If you notice any problems or anything, let me know, sometimes I'm not thorough when I check through these things!

“I’ve missed my heat.”

At the statement, Xander’s quill froze.

It had been months since the brothers bonded. No one outside of the Nohrian siblings and their retainers knew anything about their relationship, and they went through great lengths to hide it. The war had just reached a fever pitch, and the Hoshidan forces were making attack after attack, but now that Leo missed is heat…

The two stayed silent for a while.

“So that means…?” Xander trailed off, afraid to speak the words aloud. Leo nodded and dropped his gaze to his feet, shaking slightly out of nerves.

Xander could smell his fear and nervousness and stood to walk over to where Leo was standing. Embracing him, Xander emitted his own pheromones to calm his Omega. Leo hummed and nuzzled his neck, rubbing his brother’s scent all over his face.

The news was wonderful. It was expected of Xander to have children as the crown prince, and those who knew how caring and sensitive he was towards his younger siblings knew how much he valued family, but they never thought to have this discussion, considering that the war with Hoshido was on the forefront of everyone’s minds. Their relationship was also new, and they were still working out the kinks of their affections evolving from brothers to lovers. They weren’t official to anyone and they hid their bond from everyone, both princes taking extra precaution to cover their marks.

But now that Leo was expecting, they needed to have the conversation.

“We’re going to be a family,” Xander said affectionately.

“We already _are_ family,” Leo mumbled in reply.

Xander kissed him deeply before humming in response.

“What are we going to do?” Leo asked, fear creeping into his brown eyes.

Xander sat down on his bed, and patted the space next to him for Leo.

Because they were in the middle of war, Leo and their child wouldn’t be safe. Effie was the only person in their army who had borne a child during the war. Azura introduced them to the Deeprealms, where the child would be safe while the war raged on between Nohr and Hoshido, and for now it was the only option.

“We’ll have to make use of the Deeprealms. That seems to be the logical solution. So after the child is born we will send them there,” Xander sighed.

“I’m not Effie, Xander,” Leo protested, “what happens when I start showing? People will ask questions.”

Xander cursed under his breath before creasing his brow to think. The two were silent as they thought of a solution.

“Maybe,” offered Leo weakly, “I could go to the Deeprealms and have the kid there and return.”

His response earned a stare of horror from Xander.

“You can’t do that. You’d be gone for weeks and I couldn’t come with you,” the older blonde said, cupping Leo’s face, brushing his thumbs across his cheekbones. “And what if something were to happen and you needed me? There would be no way for me to know and I would never make it in time.”

Leo frowned.

“It’s our only option, Xan. I can’t have our child here.”

Sometimes Xander hated that Leo was so smart. He gritted his teeth in frustration and placed their foreheads together, feeling powerless at the hands of fate. His anger began to ebb away as Leo’s pheromones filled his nostrils.

“It’ll be okay,” the young prince hummed.

Xander nodded and shared another kiss with Leo, deep and full of all of his love for his younger brother and mate.

“We’re having a baby,” he whispered, feeling a smile tug at the edges of his mouth. He dropped his hands to Leo’s stomach, where new life was growing. Leo returned the smile and they shared their joy in intimacy.

After a few weeks, they announced the news to their siblings.

“What?!” Elise exclaimed in excitement. “That means I’m going to be an aunt! Will it be a boy or a girl? Do you know?”

The couple smiled at their youngest sister.

“No, Elise, we won’t know that until they’re born,” Xander explained lightly.

“Oh I really hope it’s a girl!” Elise squealed.

Kamui, on the other hand, seemed concerned.

“I imagine you are going to make use of the Deeprealms,” he addressed. “How are you going to keep word from spreading around camp? Or to father?”

Leo frowned and dropped his hand to his stomach protectively.

“I’m going to leave for the Deeprealms once I start to show. According to the calculations with Percy’s age, I should only be gone for a couple of weeks,” he answered.

“A few weeks?!” Kamui exclaimed.

Camilla looked at the two worriedly. “You can’t surely be leaving for that long, what will we do without the two of you?”

“Leo…will be going alone. I will stay behind to lead the war effort with the rest of you.”

Chaos ensued as the three siblings started arguing about their decision. Kamui became worried about Leo’s situation in the Deeprealms alone along with the loss of one of their most valuable fighters. Camilla didn’t want to see Leo leave. The only sibling who didn’t contribute to the banter was Elise, but she was also trying to tell everyone to calm down, noticing how Leo started to feel attacked and overwhelmed. He curled into Xander’s side further.

“Enough,” Xander ordered in a stern voice, disappointed in his siblings. “The decision is not yours to make. I assure you that we have considered all of our options, and this is the one we are going with.”

The others, feeling a little guilty, kept their mouths shut and hung their heads in shame.

“Everything will be fine,” Leo added. Kamui apologized for his behavior and Elise quickly rebounded, asking if she could donate some of her old clothes to the baby. Camilla, still critical, kept her tongue.

Xander and Leo’s retainers were the next to know, and they all were supportive, not really in a position to debate like the Nohrian siblings. After sharing the news with their family, the couple felt much better about their future.

Despite their optimism, the pregnancy did not go well.

Leo was always sick and was unable to keep much food down. Peri, who was the army’s best cooked, tried dish after dish to no avail, and Leo lost an unhealthy amount of weight, which made him considerably weaker. Normal, everyday tasks became feats of strength for him, luckily his siblings and retainers were able to cover up his work. Occasional skirmishes and battles to ward of Faceless were completely avoided for Leo, and Kamui somehow made the rotations and schedules work so that no one noticed Leo’s lack of contribution. He also did a good job at keeping Leo away from the scrutiny of the rest of the army. His paler than usual complexion and thin limbs were kept secret and hidden. Elise tried many natural remedies, but none of them were very effective. Their tireless effort took a toll on both Xander and Leo’s sleep, as the stress gnawed away at them.

Months after announcing his pregnancy, Leo miscarried.

He wasn’t the same after that.

While it was great news that he could return to the army, he was still weak from his pregnancy, and the miscarriage drove him into a depression.

“Leo, you have to eat something,” Xander begged, sitting at Leo’s knees and trying to break through his hard, brown gaze. Usually alight with his competitive, cocky nature, his eyes seemed dull and lifeless. Leo didn’t answer, and instead looked away from Xander.

In the mark on his neck that represented their bond, Xander could feel nothing. Leo’s indifference to everything was uncharacteristic and surprising, and the crown prince didn’t know how to handle the situation. Leo ignored him half the time, and the only show of affection Xander received was when Leo slept. The two did not sleep together in the same tent, feeling like it would draw suspicion, but Xander knew Leo needed him, but there was always feet of space in between them. Occasionally, Leo would roll into the warmth of Xander’s embrace, and it was like a breath of fresh air, but come morning, Leo was gone, or across the bed again.

Xander never felt so alone.

He dropped his head into Leo’s lap, feeling like a royal failure.

Leo looked back down at him, feeling Xander’s consuming sadness. His eyes teared up but he refused to cry. He didn’t deserve it as he felt responsible for the death of their child. If only he could eat, if only he had relaxed…

Hypothetical situations flooded Leo’s mind until a cycle of self-blame took its place. He hated his body for not being able to take care of his child, and he felt like a fool for getting his hopes up, knowing that logically the odds were stacked against them. Male Omegas had low fertility rates in the first place, and he was also in the middle of fighting a war.

Xander composed himself and left. Leo didn’t even realize that he had been crying.

All of Xander’s rage he took out on the battlefield. His family had never seen him be so reckless and while he cut down twice as many foes, he ended up with more injuries every battle. When he wasn’t battling, he was roaming for Faceless or any sort of trouble to take his emotions out on, and when he wasn’t doing that, he was practicing.

He became unpleasant to be around, and the normally charming and charismatic prince was cynical to all his followers. He bonded more with Peri, who shared a similar unquenchable bloodlust, but even she was terrified of the man Xander was becoming.

Camilla, watching her family fall apart, had enough.

“Leo,” she shouted, barging into his dimly lit tent.

The Omega in question was under the covers and only stirred slightly in surprise at Camilla’s outburst. The Nohrian princess lit the candles in the room magically, shining light on her little brother.

“I am done watching you ruin your life,” she said angrily, tearing the sheets from his bed. Leo, barely decent, curled into a tighter ball. He didn’t respond to his sister.

“Why are you acting like this?” she asked desperately. “I know the miscarriage was hard but-“

“Don’t talk about that.”

It was the first she had heard her brother speak in a long time.

“Like hell I will!” she yelled. “You’re killing yourself, you’re killing Xander! Just because you lost your child doesn’t mean you can take it out on everyone else.”

Leo reacted violently to her words, turning and shooting lightning from his hand.

“And what would you know about it Camilla?” he spat, eyes aflame with intensity that had been lost for months.

Halfway across camp, Xander felt his mark throb hot and angry, and put down his practice sword in confusion.

Camilla stood in shock, a hole now torn through the tent and missing her face by inches. As she watched Leo’s face rage in emotions, she felt horrible and guilty. She let her own feelings take precedent over Leo’s something she rarely did when it came to her family.

“I _loved_ my child,” he hissed, his emotions that had been bottled up for months boiling over. “I didn’t even know them and…”

He started sobbing, and Camilla was completely at a loss of how to react. She wanted to hug her baby brother but she knew that would be inappropriate for this setting

“We were so happy, w-we were going to make it work but I _couldn’t do it_!” he yelled in fury, scrubbing at his face. “I th-thought I would be able to do o-one thing right…”

“Leo!”

Both parties turned to see Xander rushing into the tent, breathing heavily and sweating.

“I saw the hole and – Leo, are you okay?” he asked, running to his mate and taking him into his arms. He glared at Camilla, his normally warm, brown eyes demanded to know what was wrong.

“I’ll s-see about fixing the hole,” Camilla stammered before she tumbled out, not wanting to deal with Xander’s wrath.

Leo clutched Xander’s shirt, spilling all of his tears into the cloth. Feeling the Omega’s intense emotions coursing through his own body, Xander also cried, holding Leo tightly and rubbing his back in a soothing manner.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Leo wailed, sobbing into Xander’s chest. He continued to repeat the two words as he cried, and Xander reassured him and told him that it was okay every time. Leo never faced what he was really feeling, knowing that the war with Hoshido was raging but now, as he confronted his emotions, he felt weak.

All of his insecurities bubbled forth, telling him that he would never succeed at anything, and that he couldn’t even succeed at the one thing his body was made to do. He knew how much it meant to Xander, and he felt ashamed, wondering why Xander would even want a useless Omega who couldn’t do one thing right.

“Leo,” Xander said, his voice faltering slightly as Leo’s self-deprecating thoughts consumed him. Although Leo never spoke them, Xander could feel them coursing through his veins by the bond. The young blonde didn’t look up at him and instead gripped him tighter as he cried. “I love you. Do you understand? I _love you_. There is no one else in this entire world that I would want to be with.”

 _He’s lying,_ Leo told himself.

“You are the only person who sees me for the man I am,” Xander mumbled, cooing gently into Leo’s ear. “You don’t care if I am crown prince, and I can let my guard down around you. To you, I am only Xander, and to me, you are Leo, and I love every single part of you. Even the parts you don’t like, I will love them enough for both of us.”

Leo couldn’t argue with that and he blushed slightly, his sobs subsiding. Xander continued to mumbled reassurances and surround the area with his comforting scent, lulling Leo into a peace and tranquility.

After what seemed like hours, Leo grew tired. Spilling all his bottled up emotions took a toll on his body and he fell asleep in Xander’s arms, sniffling. Xander watched him as he slept, realizing that it was the first time in months that Leo slept so soundly.

\------

Things had mostly returned to normal. After Leo’s breakdown, he shared all of his feelings with Xander. When Xander heard that Leo blamed himself for his miscarriage he cried and apologized for not being a more supportive mate at the time Leo needed him the most. They mended their bond, one step at a time, but one thing was still different.

“Leo, you can’t be afraid to be intimate with me,” Xander groaned, trying to sound as understanding as possible.

After the miscarriage, it became a regular occurrence for Leo spent his heats away from Xander, and that was the one thing that hadn’t been resolved. As his heat was approaching, he had been preparing himself to avoid Xander at all costs.

Leo bit his lip.

He knew a good Omega would please their Alpha, but he still couldn’t bring himself to touch Xander.

“I know but…I don’t think I’m ready yet,” Leo mumbled. Xander didn’t answer him but instead enveloped him in a loving embrace.

“I understand that it’s hard for you. I know you don’t want to have to go through what happened again, but we can’t live our lives in fear of what might happen. We could die tomorrow.”

Leo clutched Xander tighter, knowing he was right. This conversation went beyond the sex that they weren’t having, and Leo knew in his mind that he would have to deal with his scars and move on. He gave his older brother a quick kiss, and the brief contact was exhilarating after such a long time of chastity.

“I’m trying,” he breathed, and Xander brushed wisps of pale, blonde hair from his face.

“I know. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

The next week when Leo’s heat came, he swallowed his doubts and shuffled his way to Xander’s tent. His lover wasn’t there when he arrived, so Leo sat on the bed, feeling his body become aroused surrounded by the scent of the Alpha. He was sensitive after ignoring his bodily urges during his last couple of heats, and Xander’s lingering smell surrounding him was making his hair stand on end.

He waited for Xander to return, steadily feeling his temperature rise as his hormones hijacked his body. Breathing became a little harder as his heart rate picked up and he could feel a wetness between his legs and the hardening of his dick.

From outside, he heard Xander approaching the pavilion, and he got scared and aroused all at once.

_Calm down, Leo._

He took a shuddering breath as his mate stepped into the tent. Xander inhaled deeply, taking in the suffocating, sickeningly sweet scent of Leo’s heat and without speaking, began removing his own clothes.

“Leo,” he moaned, crawling over him in bed when he was fully naked, dick hard. Leo shimmied out of his shirt and laid down on his back under his brother. Xander caught his soft lips in a desperate kiss, tentatively licking the seal of Leo’s mouth. The Omega wrapped his arms around Xander’s neck and parted his lips in invitation. He sighed into the kiss as their tongues met, the feeling sending a jolt through Leo’s body, and straight to his crotch.

Slowly, Leo circled his hips to grind against Xander’s thick cock and the Alpha moaned into his mouth. Xander broke their kiss and reached down with shaky hands to remove Leo’s pants, having some difficulty. He cursed and Leo let out a light laugh.

“I’ve never seen you so flustered,” he hummed, taking over the job of untying all the strings and peeling his pants off his legs.

“It’s just been a long time,” Xander said, his voice hoarse with arousal. “And I’m having problems thinking straight right now.”

A tight contraction in Leo’s chest made it hard to breathe. He knew his decisions had been hard on Xander for the last half year and he felt guilty for making him go through that. Gently, he curled Xander’s hair around his fingers.

“I’m sorry,” Leo mumbled, and Xander kissed his palm.

“Don’t apologize.”

Leo felt warmth rush through his body and his heart ached with love for his Alpha. He wiggled his bare bottom against Xander, feeling more confident in pursuing intimacy. Their lips came together in a mingling of hot, wet tongues, and Xander gently rubbed between Leo’s legs, feeling the warm, wet fluid slip out of his vagina.

Leo shuddered and arched his back at Xander’s teasing, breaking their kiss with a harsh gasp. Little kisses were placed on the Omega’s jaw. When his scent glands were brushed, Leo whimpered and Xander lapped at them greedily before slipping his finger into Leo’s wet cave.

After so long, the sensation was a little strange, and the young prince squirmed. Xander teased his entrance, crooking his finger to brush Leo’s sensitive depths.

“Aaahhn,” he moaned, digging his nails into Xander’s shoulders. 

Xander growled, and the primal sound made Leo whimper, squeezing his walls against Xander’s finger.

“You’re so hot,” the Alpha whispered, his voice low and hoarsw as he slipped another finger inside his mate. Leo nipped at the bond mark on his shoulder, dragging his tongue over the golden ring. Xander started to come undone, panting as he finger fucked the younger blonde.

Xander sat up and pulled Leo into his lap, the Omega straddling his older brother. He resumed fingering his dripping hole with three fingers. There was a slight burn to it, but Leo bore the pain, knowing that it would be much more pleasurable later. The Alpha sucked at Leo’s nipples and the young prince’s breath hitched before he let out a throaty moan.

“I’m ready,” he breathed shakily. Xander nodded and brought their lips together before positioning Leo over his dick and Leo’s arms wrapped around Xander’s neck in preparation for penetration. As Xander guided him down on his dick, Leo’s grip tightened. He would never be ready for the size of his brother’s member. It was bigger than any Alpha’s dick had a right to be and he clenched his jaw as gravity and Xander’s grip did most of the work.

When the older prince was fully sheathed, he exhaled, his brow furrowed intensely.

“Move,” Leo whimpered, needing to feel all of Xander right now after months of neglect.

“Leo-“

At Xander’s hesitation, Leo pushed himself up until only the head of his brother’s dick was inside of him before falling back down. Both brothers moaned loudly as Leo was impaled, Xander bucking up into Leo’s warmth. Leo met every thrust by grinding down onto Xander, driving him deeper and deeper within. He didn’t keep this up for long, because after a while he turned into a quivering mess and he struggled to draw the energy out of his muscles to move. Xander laid down, and watched Leo ride him from below.

“Fuck,” he breathed, drinking in the sight of Leo flushed with arousal taking his dick. Leo moaned wetly, and clawed at Xander’s shoulders, leaving angry, red marks. He felt impossibly full, and the depths that Xander was reaching made his own, smaller erection weep.

“Aaah, _Xander,_ ” Leo keened as his brother pounded him from below. The actions made him feel like a doll being jerked around as Xander completely controlled their speed. After so long, Xander’s knot began to form uncharacteristically quickly, and the feeling of the telltale bulge within him aroused some panic in Leo. He couldn’t focus on it too long as he was overwhelmed by the pleasurable feeling, but a faraway worry that he would experience pregnancy and miscarriage again derailed him from only focusing on his pleasure.

Feeling a slight shift in the atmosphere, Xander slowed. “What’s wrong?” he breathed in concern, his face tinted pink from their activities. Leo bit his lip and shifted his hips a little, rubbing his walls deliciously against Xander’s dick. The rapid rise and fall of the Alphas chest was alluring and the way sweat plastered his normally immaculate curls to his face was erotic in ways Leo would have never imagined, but he was only thinking of one thing.

“T-the knot,” his whimpered, his breath shaky from still being aroused and having a knotted, pulsing dick in his ass. “What if…?”

He didn’t finish his questioned and instead sighed in disappointment, shielding his face from view with his hands. Xander gingerly took his hands and kissed the backs of them before turning and kissing their palms. Leo blushed at the intimate gesture.

“ _If_ you get pregnant,” Xander started lowly, “we can make whatever decision we feel best and deal with it if it happens.” Leo, feeling a little unsatisfied with his answer, averted is gaze. “I know it’s unfair for me to say that, since I wouldn’t be the one personally experiencing it, but I will stand by your side always, and do what I can to share your joys and your pain.”

Feeling tears well up in his eyes, Leo scrubbed his face angrily.

“Why are you so… _ugh!”_ he groaned affectionately. Xander chuckled before leaning in to give Leo a soft kiss.

During their brief conversation, Leo’s erection went away. The knot, however, was still strong and Xander rolled his hips experimentally. As they became reacquainted with the feel of intimacy, Leo cried, wondering what he ever did to deserve Xander in his life.

They climaxed together soon afterwards, neither party lasting very long after months of chastity.

Afterwards, they fell back into a familiar pattern. Leo progressively got better with his fears and insecurities and both became stronger versions of themselves and a better couple. Occasionally he would have a bad day, and his fears and anxiety would consume him, but he was proud and strong and came out on top of every battle against himself with grace. Xander scoffed at the notion of Omega’s being the weakest rank. Leo showed more strength and courage than most of their army combined, and Xander was extremely proud with his younger brother and mate. Somewhere along the way, their secret relationship began to become not-so-secret.

Kamui was the first to point out that their requests from King Garon had gotten oddly specific at having Leo fight on the front lines. Many unwanted and alarmingly frequent visits from Iago had the siblings on their toes as they avoided the topic of Leo’s heat with finesse. Their elite army had not returned to Castle Krakenburg since Leo’s heat, and letters and visits were consistently made to make sure the “little prince” was doing alright and not participating in unsavory activity. This wouldn’t be strange except for Elise did not receive these same concerns.

When they finished their current mission well within the next year, they were suddenly called back to Castle Krakenburg for the first time since they all joined together as siblings in the war.

“Leo,” King Garon grumbled. While cool and indifferent on the outside, Leo’s nerve were going haywire. His father was intimidating enough, but he didn’t want to imagine what would happen if he found out that two of his sons had bonded.

“Yes, Father,” he responded flatly, forcing down is nerves. King Garon shifted in his throne.

“I have plans to marry you to the second son of Hoshido.”

The news came like a bolt of lightning, and Leo willed his face to remain calm.

“When we conquer them,” Leo said level-headedly, “will it not be inconvenient to have the sons of rulers be married to Hoshidan scum?”

Garon snorted, his dark face contorting into a look of pure evil, and the blonde prince, all alone save for Iago, felt as if he were being picked apart.

“Your marriage would be short. I only require you to bond with the son, and then you will make short work in killing them all from the inside.”

Leo’s face mirrored horror for a moment before he toned it down; he didn’t want to offend his father after all.

“But the very nature of a bond would work against that plan, Father,” he argued. He measured his reactions, his tone, and his words carefully. One false hint could give him and Xander away, and they would be damned. On the other hand, if he couldn’t find a way to get out of his father’s plan, they would be damned anyway.

Iago smirked as he watched the inner turmoil happen within the young prince.

“But your loyalty to your country and family is stronger. I have already privately discussed the negotiations with their fool of a prince, Ryouma, there will be no more discussion,” Garon said with a bored tone, shooing his son away with his hand as if he were but a mere servant.

Leo gritted his teeth in frustration.

He couldn’t go through with his father’s plan. It was heinous, and to top it off, Leo was bonded already. The plan would crumble before it was even put in place. Disgustedly, he thought about touching Takumi in the same way he might touch Xander, and he knew he had to think of a solution fast.

“I cannot go through with this plan, Father.”

“Silence, boy!” Iago shouted, still grinning from ear to ear. “Your King has given you a command, there would be no reason to decline unless…”

Leo’s eye twitched angrily at Iago’s pause. He knew he was cornered and he would have to admit he was bonded.

“I’m bonded, Father.”

Iago’s giggles were the only sound in the throne room, but if angry had a noise, Garon would be the loudest.

“To whom?” he spat, and Leo would’ve laughed at the fact his father was showing him any emotion other than indifference had he not been so terrified.

“Niles,” he lied. He could tell Iago was expecting a different answer, but Leo was not about to doom his and Xander’s bond. He inwardly apologized to Niles, knowing that they would receive a harsh sentence for concealing a bond between royal family members, and for that bond being non-approved by the King. As Leo started realizing the disadvantages in his head, he remembered the sentence for their crimes.

Death unto the non-royal bond-bearer.

“ _Shit_ ,” he hissed under his breath, realizing with a heavy heart that he sent his best friend and retainer to the gallows.

“Your retainer? How insulting,” Garon scoffed, and Leo could barely focus on his words as he contemplated the meaning of his actions. “As much as I would have him hanged now, I will have to wait until after we have won this war.”

Their conversation was over, as Garon made the same shooing gesture to Leo, and he followed this time, bowing respectfully to his father before leaving the throne room. He continued to save face as he made the journey to his room, nodding at people he passed in the hallway. He wouldn’t recall who they were because he was only focused on getting out of the mess he got himself into.

When he got to his room, Xander was there, and Leo collapsed against the wall, clutching his hair. He felt as if he were going to be sick.

“What happened?” Xander asked, going to his brother and rubbing his back.

“He knows,” Leo said, panicked. “He knows I’m bonded.”

Leo could feel Xander freeze in shock.

“We’re going to die…”

Leo could feel tears slipping from his eyes. “No,” he said, voice cracking on the short word. “I told him I bonded with _Niles_.”

\----------

With their lie, they condemned Niles, who surprisingly wasn’t upset or afraid of his death.

“You saved my life. I don’t mind laying it down for you,” he said in a strangely touching and revealing moment. It was true that Leo gave him hope for a better life, but he never thought that Niles would be losing his life because of him.

Well, he did. But he pictured it would be more heroic.

Xander, who was perturbed by the news, focused his attention on Leo. He was surprised that he had been holding himself together after everything they went through, and worried one day he would snap. Their father’s willingness to use them as pawns seeded a deep mistrust and hatred where love and adoration used to dwell, and he secretly grew fonder and fonder of Kamui’s ideas to dethrone him. Such plans were uncharacteristic of the crown prince, however, and there would be no hope for the future if any of them murdered King Garon to take the throne.

And the war was looking bleaker.

At every turn they were buffeted with more and more obstacles. As they crossed into Hoshidan territory they struggled to remain undetected and were berated by hostile forces wherever they stopped. Their only hope was to make it to the neutral Wind Tribe and seek respite there.

“You children have a lot on your plates,” said Gunter gruffly as they trekked through sparse grasslands.

Leo gave him a side-eyed glance. As their old tutor and practically their second father, he was let in on the loop, albeit a little later. They were currently walking in columns with the army, though, and Leo would rather not have certain things being alluded too.

There was already a rumor going around camp that Leo and Xander were bonded. They slipped somewhere along the way and it was the army chatter. Niles seemed a little more than happy to put that rumor to rest by a few not-so-secret touches and extra sexual entendres towards his liege, much to Xander’s dismay, but it was necessary.

“Yes, but in time of war, that is typically common.”

A sharp pain twisted in Leo’s abdomen and he clutched it and winced. His actions drew the attention of those around him, who happened to be his siblings and retainers.

“Prince Leo, are you alright?” Odin asked, uncharacteristically quiet and calm. Asking such a question loudly would bring unnecessary attention, and Leo secretly thanked Odin for his foresight.

“I will be fine, it’s just – _nngh_!”

He doubled over his horse in pain and she whickered nervously. Two paces ahead, Xander commanded the halt of the column and trotted his own horse over to Leo.

“Are you hurt?” he asked in concern, scanning Leo’s body.

“I don’t know it’s just-“

His horse screamed in frenzy and reared up, nearly throwing him from his horse. Loud chatter broke out as people became confused. Gunter jumped from his steed to calm Leo’s horse and noticed the blood trickling down the saddle.

“He’s bleeding!” he shouted over the commotion.

“Tell the army that Prince Leo has been attacked and we need to set up a perimeter! Make sure you protect the Omegas and the convoy!” he ordered to their gathered retainers. They split to deliver the message after he gave his orders, and the siblings focused on calming Leo’s horse.

When they dragged Leo from the mare, he was still clutching his stomach, but there were no wounds.

“It’s coming from inside,” he gritted out.

“Elise!” Xander yelled, calling over his sister.

“Why would a trained war horse get spooked by the scent of blood?” Camilla wondered.

“Some never get used to it, and Prince Leo rides often to the front lines, where most of the gruesome acts of war go on,” Gunter explained, helping Elise organize her medical supplies.

With some effort the disassembled the bottom part of his armor. Luckily, he was only lightly shielded, and they could see the blood was coming from between his legs.

“I need a tent!” Elise shouted, pulling out magical items that would allow her to assess the condition inside of Leo’s body. Everyone but Xander rushed to assemble the tent around them for privacy.

A thin layer of sweat developed on Leo’s skin as he fought the pain through clenched teeth. He felt dizzy, and the sight of blood covering him made him nauseous.

“Wh-what’s…happening…?”

The last thing he saw was Xander’s face before everything went dark.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So some typos have come to my attention. I don't have a Beta reader so sometimes they go unnoticed. So sorry! I will try to fix them as I find them!

When Leo came to, it was night.

The familiar darkness was soft on his eyes, and he could hear a gentle breeze whisper through sparse grass. There was a lamp lit on a small table beside where he lay, and he could faintly see Xander, bathed in orange, sleeping softly in a chair pulled up next to his bed.

He tried to say his name, but groaned instead, his throat and body much more tired than he initially thought. The noise, however, roused Xander from his sleep. For a brief moment Leo could see the sleep that still clung to him like a veil, but it was shaken off as if it was never there.

“You’re awake,” he said, relief flooding over him. He held Leo’s smaller hand in his own and pressed the Omega’s knuckles to his forehead.

“What happened?” he croaked.

Xander didn’t answer him but looked into his eyes painfully, his chocolate eyes flecked with orange and amber from the flickering firelight. Leo couldn’t read his expression but a sense of dread came over him.

“What _happened_?” he asked again, squeezing Xander’s hand.

“You’re pregnant. Elise said that your body was reacting negatively to some stress, but the baby’s fine.”

Clenching his jaw, Leo slammed his free hand down on the bed. He felt infuriated and terrified and hot tears streaked his face

“Leo,” Xander mumbled, dusting a kiss over his knuckles.

“I can’t do it,” the Omega hissed, pulling his knees up to his chest. “I can’t go through with this again.”

“We don’t have to go through losing another child,” Xander explained softly, keeping his voice down as to not disturb anyone nearby. “I’m scared too, Leo, but we’ve been given another opportunity, and I think we can make it work.”

“What do you suggest we do? Just drop out of the war?”

“Actually yes.”

Leo wanted to laugh at his mate. Xander, who was always determined and strong, was making no sense to Leo right now. His brother would never leave a war effort; he was a leader to the army and a symbol of strength and unity.

“It would only be for a few months and by that time, Kamui and the other will have safely passed through the Wind Tribe and we could rejoin them later,” Xander explained.

“It’s not like you to abandon the effort,” Leo scoffed.

“And I won’t abandon my family either. I love you, Leo, and you are the most important person to me. Nothing is more important. Not besting Prince Ryouma, not stopping father, but you,” he said heatedly. “I didn’t do enough for you the first time, and I’m not going to put our child at risk because of my indecisiveness.”

“Idiot,” Leo mumbled affectionately, rubbing his thumb over Xander’s fingers. He didn’t really have a choice. He couldn’t change the fact that he was pregnant. Of course there were ways to get rid of an unborn child, but they were expensive and not wholly effective and Leo would never take a chance on them.

“So since you’re the one making all the plans now,” Leo said jokingly, trying to stifle the fear that was boiling inside of him, “what exactly are we supposed to be doing?”

Xander gave Leo a small smile and kissed his cheek.

“You will leave for the Deeprealms in a few days. There is a portal around here that will take us there. Kamui has spread the word that you have sustained a grievous injury from an unknown enemy and will need to spend a long time recovering. Elise will be with you, and I will visit from time to time.”

Leo’s fear began to burble towards the surface as he noted the flaws in Xander’s plan.

“What if you miss it?” he asked weakly.

“I won’t.”

Although he wasn’t completely reassured, the resolution in Xander’s voice made Leo’s heart skip a beat and he blushed.

“Elise will fetch me near time, so I can be there early,” he finished, brushing some of Leo’s pale hair behind his ear.

Xander couldn’t help but stare at how lovely his younger brother had become. He was always an adorable child, especially with his penchant for snide comments and unquenchable thirst for knowledge. Xander knew that some of that was his competitive nature, but Leo had aged considerably. Xander would say that war made him older, and the miscarriage had taken the childishness that was left behind. He was an adult now, and he was beautiful and he was Xander’s.

“What are you staring at?” Leo asked, feeling slightly self-conscious at his older brother’s admiring gaze.

“The most beautiful thing on this Earth,” Xander sighed.

Leo quirked an eyebrow.

“I didn’t see any Nohrian sunsets around. I must’ve missed it,” he replied cheekily, leaning into Xander.

“No, this is more beautiful than a Nohrian sunset.”

“So you?” Leo answered before closing the distance between their mouths. Xander grinned against his lips and kissed him back, delicately curling Leo’s short, tousled hair around his finger.

Leo didn’t know how things were going to work out, but with Xander by his side, he could face anything.

\------

It was a few days afterwards when Leo was moved to the Deeprealm with Elise. The news had circulated that Prince Leo had received a serious injury, and needed time to heal. The Deeprealms would be the perfect place to let him make a full recovery. At the portal, Leo and Xander shared a tender goodbye and the younger blonde stepped in with Elise.

Xander watched forlornly as Leo stepped through the portal, and when he did, the golden ring around his neck went numb, void of any feeling. He would’ve panicked, but he knew Leo was safely on the other side. Only the breaking of a bond or death of a mate could make the mark feel so lifeless.

Xander made his way back to camp, trying to retain his regal composure despite feeling a part of him had gone missing. At camp, people were gathered around Niles, attempting to console him.

“I don’t want to talk,” the outlaw grunted, pushing his way past Charlotte. Xander felt anger and jealousy flare within his heart, but he concealed it, knowing that Niles getting the recognition of being Leo’s mate was vital to their plans.

“Is he alright, Lord Xander?” Niles asked. The crown prince resisted the urge to place his hand over his mark, where he was unable to feel Leo.

“Yes, he’s safe.”

“Are you alright?”

Niles was incredibly perceptive when he wanted to be, but Xander let it roll off of him. His duties first and foremost were to his people now, and he couldn’t be distracted.

“I will be fine.”

He walked back to his tent, which still smelled like Leo, and began preparing for the war summit. They were still making their way to the Wind Tribe, and their environment was getting hostile. He wasn’t sure if they would be attacked, or if it would be similar to the last time they were in neutral territory and they were tricked into battle.

After gathering his sense of self, he left, the sun dipping low behind the horizon and the sound of camps being set-up rang in the background.

Xander made his way to the war tent, greeting those he passed. His siblings and their retainers were waiting in the tent and they began discussing strategy when he arrived. The lack of Leo was noticeable but no one called attention to it. Camilla gave Xander a worried glance and he shook his head, dismissing any discussion of their younger brother. It was time for Xander to focus on the war, Leo would be fine.

\------

It wasn’t for another week before Xander could slip away on a “solo mission”. He was worried, because of the rapidity of time in the Deepralms, that something would have happened to Leo, and Xander, the usually composed prince, became anxious.

“Are you sure you have everything handled?”

“Yes, yes, and you’ll only be gone for a few days Xander, Laslow will retrieve you after your time is finished,” Kamui sighed, never seeing his older brother act this way. As much as Xander tried to act like he was unbothered by Leo’s absence, he couldn’t hide his true feelings from his siblings and retainers. They knew by the way he practiced that he was concerned about his mate, and after making great progress on their trip to the Wind Tribe, Kamui suggested he go see Leo.

Xander nodded before turning to step into the portal. After he was on the other side, he could feel warmth rush back to the bond on his neck and he sighed in pleasure. Nothing was more relieving than the steady pulse under the golden mark. Quickly, he made his way to the village where he left Leo and Elise only a handful of days prior.

The Deeprealms were peaceful, and the nature reflected as much. Flora and fauna thrived here, with lush and vibrant plants springing forth onto the path. Xander found peace of mind admiring the sanctuary from war. There was no indication of the pain and suffering that battle brought upon a land. The paths were well-traveled, but not so heavily traveled that they were torn, mud flinging at every opportunity, like in Nohr and Hoshido. It was relaxing.

“Big brother!”

The familiar voice made Xander smile, and in homely clothing stood his little sister. She beamed at him, and in the back of Xander’s mind, he noticed her hair had gotten a little longer.

“Hello, Elise, I see you have come to fetch me,” he answer fondly, returning the large hug the young Omega gave him. “How did you know I was here?”

“Of course!” she chirped, “Leo knew you were back and he wanted to come too, but he wasn’t feeling too well today, and Ms. Eliza said he should stay at home.”

“The woman you’ve been staying with?” he asked, worry nagging at the back of his head, but he didn’t feel anything troubling coming from Leo, so he put the issue to rest in his mind.

“Yeah! But let’s walk while we talk!”

The walked through the modest village and Xander noticed how happy everyone was. Even though they had little, they were close-knit and amiable. It was an atmosphere that Xander enjoyed, and he hoped that one day, this same peace could come to Nohr. Everyone greeted Elise as they walked by and she returned every greeting.

“You’ve done well to establish yourself among the villagers,” Xander noted with a hint of pride. Elise had always been cheerful and very good at talking to others. She had particular skill in looking past the boundaries of nobility and finding the worth and value in everyone, something a lot of people in power usually lacked. Her charm and charisma were highly valuable and he respected his little sister for those traits.

“Well, it has been 3 whole months, you know,” she huffed, “I couldn’t stay a hermit forever.”

“3 months? It’s only been about a week since we sent you off, how strange.”

According to the data they received from the Deeprealm that held Percy, the time should be doubled in the Deeprealms, but if 3 months had gone by in the span of only a week and a few days, then time was moving much faster in this Deeprealm.

“A week?! We thought it had at least been a month,” Elise gasped, “Leo’s gonna be so upset!”

Xander smiled a little at that. Not that Leo was going to get mad was humorous, but it would be because he got something wrong. He didn’t realize how much he had missed his younger brother’s antics until they were separated. Not that they hadn’t been apart for longer than a week, but that was before they were bonded.

They continued chattering for a little while about the amount of progress they made in the war over the last week, and how Leo had been fairing over the past 3 months. Elise stopped them in front of a cottage and pushed open the wooden door.

“We’re back!” she called.

The home was as modest as the rest of the town was, but it was large enough for the three inhabitants to have their own beds. In the kitchen area, an older woman with greying hair was scrubbing heavy metal pans, but Leo was nowhere to be seen.

“Ah, hello there, Prince Xander,” she said kindly, wiping her wet hands on her apron. “I hope you had a safe journey?”

“I did, thank you for the inquiry,” he replied. Eliza smiled.

“Leo should be in the back. He started getting all stir crazy so he’s outside for some fresh air.”

Xander thanked her and Elise went to help her with cleaning. The older blonde walked outside to the back of the home. There was a small garden for vegetables and herbs, and pots for many varieties of flowers. Sitting in the shade of a large tree was Leo, his brow creased as he poured over the pages of some book.

Seeing Leo in the bright, warm light was breathtaking. Nohr was gloomy, and Leo always looked beautiful in dark clothes and the grim backdrop of the consistent moonlight and overcast skies made him look noble, but cold. Now, with his pale skin dappled by sunlight filtered through green leaves, he looked radiant. He was dressed simply, but Xander thought he had never seen Leo look so magnificent. He wanted to capture the moment forever.

“Leo,” he sighed, catching the Omegas attention. His blonde head snapped up and a large grin spread across his face.

“Xander!” he exclaimed before standing to embrace his mate. Leo slotted in Xander’s arms perfectly, as if the two were made to be together. The billowing white shirt that Leo was wearing had hidden the swell of his abdomen, but pressed against Xander, the Alpha could definitely feel it.

The two hugged for a while and Leo nosed at his older brother’s neck, taking the scent from his glands and rubbing his face with it. The crown prince hummed in contentment as his Omega scent marked himself. He placed small kisses on the top of Leo’s head and the younger prince purred.

“Elise told me it’s been 3 months,” Xander spoke lowly, after comfortable silence.

“Yes,” Leo replied, his voice wistful, “how long has it been for you?”

“A week.”

The Omega’s jaw dropped.

“If we had known it would be that fast, you could’ve just stayed here!”

A smile spread across Xander’s face as he looked at Leo’s pouting face.

“I know, and I figured since the time is moving a little quicker than with Percy’s Deeprealm, I will probably be staying for the last few months,” he explained, “if that’s any consolation.”

Leo blushed, staring indignantly at a spot on Xander’s shoulder.

“I guess that would be okay,” he mumbled. Xander gave him a gentle peck on his cheek, feeling the warm skin under his lips. He trailed his hands down Leo’s body and stopped at the curve of his stomach, feeling the taut skin pulled over the bump there.

“I heard you weren’t feeling well today?”

Leo huffed and grumbled what Xander assumed were expletives.

“It’s just typical morning sickness. Elise is making it more of a deal than it needs to be,” he replied. He placed his hand on his stomach over Xander’s

“We should figure out a name,” Leo mumbled contently, sighing against the Alpha. Xander hummed in reply but had some misgivings about the idea. Naming a child before the first year of its life was a bad omen, as most children didn’t survive that long, let alone a child that hasn’t been born yet. And while it was impossible to not create a bond for the life forming inside of Leo, placing name to their unborn child would make it that much harder if they were to lose it.

“How about on my next visit?” Xander suggested, not wanting to spoil their reunion with his doubts. Leo frowned but nodded, pulling away from his older brother and taking his hand.

“Eliza said the most dangerous time has passed, and that everything seems to be going well.”

Xander, missing the contact of their bodies, kissed the crown of Leo’s head. He wanted to avoid this topic of conversation, knowing how sensitive Leo was to it.

“That’s wonderful news.”

Leo searched his eyes hesitantly, wondering what Xander was hiding from him. The Alpha could feel Leo staring straight through him, and he shifted his weight nervously.

“What is it?” Leo asked, placing a hand back over his stomach. The motion attracted Xander’s attention.

“I’m just worried, is all.” He lovingly brushed a few locks of Leo’s pale fringe from his forehead. “I don’t want you to be disappointed again.”

Leo wrapped his arms protectively around his middle and Xander could feel through the bond the fear that suddenly consumed over the Omega. It was evident that he had been attempting to hide his doubts, but now that they were together, they spilled out.

“I know,” Leo sighed, saving face despite the overwhelming discomfort Xander knew was there. “I worry too. But I’ve been doing my best to live in the present, and to take each day as it comes.”

Xander felt pride and love wash over him at Leo’s strength. His younger brother had always been wise beyond his years, and it had motivated the crown prince to be better, as not to be bested by Leo. Presenting as an Omega had been the worst thing to happen to Leo, especially with his self-esteem, knowing that he would be reduced in rank significantly for battle. There were many nights that Leo let down his walls and showed Xander the vulnerability that grew from being overshadowed and the fear he had of being useless and forgotten. And to add insult to injury, the two had to struggle with hiding their bond and their affections toward each other from those they cared about and loved. The jealousy that would overtake the Omega as he watched other bonded pairs express themselves freely could be debilitating, but through it all, Leo fought on. After their miscarriage, the younger blonde managed to piece himself back together and he lived daily knowing that Niles’s life would end for a lie, somehow managing to deal with the consequences of his actions all while pretending nothing had changed since his first heat. And now, Leo was gathering all his courage and strength to go through another pregnancy, knowing full well the likelihood he would have a safe and smooth pregnancy and delivery was very low.

Xander laughed at all those who said Omegas were weak. Leo had more strength than the entire Nohrian army, and Xander had no idea how he had managed.

Taking Leo into his arms, Xander wished that he could vocalize how he felt about him, but he knew words would not suffice in explaining how deeply he revered his younger brother. He knew that there was not another moment he wanted to spend without Leo by his side.

Leo could feel the surge of warmth in his bond and relaxed into Xander’s arms, his doubts slowly ebbing away as he was wrapped in his Alpha’s embrace.

“When did you get so smart?” Xander asked affectionately. He heard Leo give a light laugh against him.

“I’ve always been this smart, _one_ of us has to be the brains of this operation.”

“Xander! Leo!”

Their names being called startled them apart, and out of habit they put an appropriate amount of distance between them. Elise was poking her head out from one of the small house’s windows, and she was waving them over.

“Sorry if I scared you,” she apologized sheepishly, “but Ms. Eliza says it’s time for dinner so wash up!”

Leo sighed and calmed his racing heart. Even after the months he spent in the Deeprealm, he was still wary of Nohrian spies finding out his grandiose secret with Xander. He pushed his worries to the back of his mind. Anyone who was any danger to them was far away and Xander was here with him now. Leo slipped his hand into Xander’s and they walked back to the cottage together.

When they got inside, the scent of cooking meat and simmered vegetables wafted into their noses. Leo’s stomach audibly grumbled and he placed a hand over it in embarrassment in an attempt to silence the noise. Xander stifled a chuckle and received a firm elbow to the ribs.

“It’s better if you like the food,” Eliza cackled. “When I was pregnant with Edward the smell of meat made me vomit!”

Elise giggled and Leo scrunched up his face in mortification.

The small group easily fell into a comfortable atmosphere for dinner. Xander wasn’t well-acquainted with Eliza, but because Leo and Elise had been living with her for some time, they were able to patch lulls in conversation. It seemed like the eldest woman was very grateful to have people to spend her time with, talking fondly about her late husband and her own children who grew up and moved out to be with their own families. Over good food and good conversation, all of Xander’s worries about leaving his child alone in this realm with Eliza melted away. There was a love and a warmth that engulfed him as he ate dinner with his siblings and Eliza, and he encapsulated the moment as one he would like to share with his whole family, after the war was over.

“So, prince Xander,” Eliza started as she began clearing away their dinner dishes, “how long are you planning to stay? I do love your company.”

Xander gave the woman a kind smile.

“Please Ms. Eliza, ‘Xander’ is fine. And I was hoping to stay for the full pregnancy, if that would be alright with you. I would hate to impose.”

Elise gasped and Leo looked at him incredulously.

“The whole time?! But what about the war?” the younger prince speculated.

“Considering how quickly the time flows here, I see no reason why I shouldn’t.”

Eliza beamed.

“That sounds wonderful! Will you be needing to get some things from your home?”

Leo was still staring at Xander in a mix of shock and elation.

“Yes, of course. I will leave in a few days and retrieve a few items and then I will be back to stay,” Xander replied, trying not to notice how Leo was looking at him.

Eliza excitedly continued her cleaning work, pulling Elise along to help, which left Leo and Xander alone in the main dining room.

“You’re staying?” Leo asked for clarification softly.

“Is that a problem?” Xander asked, taking his lover hand on the table.

“Of course not,” the shorter blonde replied quickly, “it’s just a surprise. And also a little dangerous, is all.”

Xander creased his eyebrows in confusion. “Dangerous?”

Leo shifted in his seat.

“Well, you’d be staying here for maybe a month? What about all that time with the army? You’re an important leader and someone might get suspicious for you leaving for so long.”

“It’ll be fine, Leo. I’ll go home for a short while and let Kamui and Camilla know what’s going on. They still have a ways to go before reaching the Wind Tribe, and the Wind Tribe is neutral territory, so they shouldn’t face any problems,” he explained, running his thumb over the Omega’s knuckles. “And if they _do_ run into trouble, they can handle it. We have an entire Nohrian arm filled with trained warriors.”

“But what if they run into trouble and you aren’t there and father finds out that three of his children are hiding away during the march to Hoshido?” retorted the younger prince angrily. Xander, as smart and caring as he was, could sometimes be very thick. He wasn’t thinking about how his actions would cost them in the future, and even though Leo wanted to spend his time in the Deeprealms with his older brother, he didn’t want to compromise his relationship or his future because of his desires. He had already forsaken Niles with his lie and it haunted him every day.

“I don’t understand why you are against this. I thought you would want me to spend my time here with you,” said the older prince, dissatisfied with the way their conversation was going. Leo pulled his hand away to card them through his blonde locks nervously. Without his headband his hair slid through his fingers, and the motion was soothing as he argued with his Alpha. His natural instincts told him to submit, but he worried too much about the consequences of Xander’s actions.

“I’m not against it, you’re just not thinking about how your actions could impact us negatively. Or anyone else, for that matter. I think we should stick to our original plan and Elise can just come and get you later.”

Being opposed strongly affected Xander’s need as an Alpha to have control. He was also confused as to why Leo was upset with him when all he requested was to stay the whole time of his pregnancy instead of leaving. Just earlier, Leo had said that that was what he wanted.

“Or what if father decided to send Iago to check in on us?” Leo continued. “You could probably get away with lying about why Elise and I were in the Deeprealms, considering the entire army believes I’m at death’s door, but I don’t think there would be any way to rationalize three of us being here. Especially if he wants proof and he wants to visit.” The thought made Leo’s skin crawl. There was not a person in the entire world that he hated more than his father’s advisor. He was such a slimy man with only ill-intentions toward them all, particularly Kamui.

Xander sighed, fighting his urges to argue until his point was accepted. Part of being a good leader was thinking diplomatically and making decisions for the whole but part of being a good mate and a caring Alpha was knowing when you’ve lost an argument.

“You’re right,” he breathed, surrendering his point. Leo had always been wise, offering strategic battle plans when necessary and giving great advice to the Nohrian siblings. “But I don’t want to wait until too late to come back. I’ll return home for another week before returning to you.”

Leo smiled weakly.

“Thank you, Xander.”

The two reported their details back to Eliza, who seemed disheartened that she wouldn’t have another visitor, but supportive of their plan either way. Elise also seemed put out, complaining about how whiny Leo has gotten and that she would like someone else to talk with. Her comment made everyone, save for Leo, laugh.

“I have not gotten whiny,” Leo pouted when they retired to his bedroom.

They had stayed up talking with Elise until she was yawning, Eliza having wandered to her bed much earlier. The fact that the comment was still stuck on Leo made Xander chuckle and pulled his loose tunic over his head.

“Maybe just a little,” he joked, sitting down beside Leo.

“No I-“ Leo abruptly cut off his sentence when he noticed Xander was seated shirtless beside him. It had been 3 long months since he last saw Xander and his breath hitched seeing his lover’s bare skin and rippling muscle.

“What is it?”

Leo turned his blushing face away from Xander, embarrassed at his body’s lack of restraint. He could already feel his arousal coursing through his veins and his heart pumping.

“It’s just been a while,” Leo mumbled before pulling his own shirt over his head in an attempt to focus on something else. When he turned to look at Xander, he could see the Alpha’s eyes were fixated on his swollen stomach. The younger prince had to resist the urge to cover it, not used to the blatant attention heaped upon his pregnancy.

Leo laid back on the under the watchful gaze of his older brother and gingerly, Xander placed his hand over the bump. Over the course of what had been for him a week, Leo’s stomach had grown considerable, even though it was still able to be hidden. Xander relished in the fact that there was life forming under his hand, and that it was his own child. Despite warning Leo not to get too attached for fear of miscarriage, the crown prince could feel love for his unborn child fill his heart and for a fond moment he ran his fingers over the tight skin. Leo was still blushing and fidgeted slightly under the older prince’s burning touch, but let Xander have his moment, knowing that this was all knew to both of them.

Slowly, Xander began to pepper kisses along Leo’s neck. He whimpered in response, his body reacting positively to the stimulation. The Alpha was gentle with him, caressing his soft skin and nipping gently at tender flesh, until Leo came undone under his ministrations and was aching for a more forceful touch.

“Xander,” Leo moaned, skin flushed as he was laid open for his lover. The sight of Leo panting and desperate was lewd in every way that Xander liked, and he slid his finger against Leo’s clothed cock, teasing him slightly. Xander lapped at his swollen scent glands at his neck, and pulled the hem of the younger blonde’s pants down, freeing his erection.

“Sshh,” he whispered before licking the shell of Leo’s ear. “They’ll hear you.”

In his brain, Leo knew that getting intimate with Xander inside Eliza’s house was a very bad idea, but his body betrayed him, desperately curling into Xander’s hand as he stroked him lazily, and something about the possibility of getting caught worked against him as he felt the telltale wetness on the inside of his thighs from his arousal. He shivered, feeling completely vulnerable under Xander’s imposing form and stifled a heady moan.

Xander began trailing kisses down his body, enjoying how Leo squirmed in pleasure, never stilling his hand. The younger prince bit down on his lip to keep from making too much noise and his light hair was strewn across his pillow, framing his flushed face. Xander’s own erection was straining against his pants, and he nipped at the inside of Leo’s thighs, Leo’s coarse hairs tickling his nose.

When Leo realized what his lover was doing, he propped himself up on his elbows, ready to protest indignantly before he felt Xander’s wet tongue against his velvety folds.

“Aaah…!” Leo moaned before clamping a hand down on his mouth. “What are you _doing_?!” he hissed through clenched teeth.

They had never experimented in the bedroom, all intimacy being slightly controlled due to lack of time and the fear of others finding out, and because of this, their sex was pretty routine. Any moments they could steal away to get close to each other were cherished and savored regardless of how curt their encounters were. Because of the situation placed upon them, there was rarely anytime to just explore each other’s bodies and work through different methods of pleasure.

Leo sat up and attempted to push Xander away, not quite approving of this unexpected turn of events, but when he felt the Alphas tongue swipe over his sweet bundle of nerves, he tangled his hand in the golden hair and kept him there. His other hand was used to stifle his moans and he felt all at once aroused and embarrassed as Xander glanced at him through light eyelashes. His older brother’s hand was still stroking him languidly while he swirled his tongue experimentally between Leo’s thighs, the sensation making the Omega’s legs quiver.

“S-shit, Xander,” he whispered between quiet, breathy moans and he laid himself back down, relaxing into the pleasure Xander was giving him. His hips bucked against his older brother’s warm muscle, loving the way his wet tongue slid against his most sensitive areas. Xander quelled his hand from stroking Leo’s slender length, and he began fingering him instead, one digit probing into his slick hole.

After a few months, Leo was unaccustomed to the feeling of being filled by anything, and he hissed slightly, clutching a fistful of Xander’s hair at the discomfort. Sensing his resistance, he lapped experimentally at his younger brother’s soft mound. Having never done this before, he felt thoroughly inexperienced, but continued with what seemed to please Leo most. When he felt his younger brother loosen against him, he stuck in another finger into his wet, warm hole.

Leo’s thin dick was hard and red, dripping slightly as he bit back moans. He couldn’t see Xander over his swollen stomach but he thrusted his wet hips into the warmth of his brother’s mouth. Occasionally Xander would lick up the length of his dick, swirling around the head gently before going back down, licking the sensitive slit of his brother’s most sensitive areas.

“Nnggh…aaah,” Leo breathed, thrusting against Xander’s mouth, craving more. He never felt he could feel so pleased without having Xander knot him, and he wondered why they had never tried something like this before. Of course, throughout the time they’d been bonded, Leo had given Xander a few blowjobs, but never to completion, and always as a precursor to the exhilarating sex he had come to love, but this was completely different. Leo could feel his orgasm fast approaching and he struggled to stifle his moans, knowing that any loud noises could prompt unwarranted and embarrassing interruption.

Curling his finger’s against Leo’s wet walls elicited a sharp inhale, and the Omega arched his back off the bed, his fingers tangling desperately in the older brother’s hair as he drove him towards the peak of ecstasy.

“Xan….I-I’m so, _nngh­_ , close,” he breathed raggedly as he felt himself toeing the edge of orgasm. Xander continued scissoring his fingers in his lover, sliding a third alongside the others. Leo was impossibly hot, writhing under his teasing, and Xander nipped at Leo’s inner thigh, earning a groan of irritation from the younger blonde. His hips wiggled impatiently as Leo tried to get the same pleasure as earlier. The light bites were pleasing in their own way, but after experiencing the sweet feeling of Xander’s tongue and lips against his soft folds, he needed sweet release. His brother slid his fingers in Leo’s tight hole, stretching it and Leo let out a raspy breath. He clenched his walls around Xander’s fingers and whined lightly.

Xander hummed in question, playfully sliding his tongue against Leo’s inner thighs and in all the places except where Leo wanted it most.

“Xander,” he hissed, tugging on his hair and wiggling his hips.

“What do you want Leo?” Xander breathed before licking a thin stripe up Leo’s member. The Omega pulled his legs together and let out a soft, long whine.

“Fuck me,” he whispered, and Xander grinned.

He sat up, pulling his fingers from his brother, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand positioning the head of his cock at Leo’s tight entrance. The hand in Xander’s hair fell to his muscled shoulder. Looking down at his lover, breathing heavily with lust and biting down on his own hand, Xander growled deep in his throat. He pushed Leo’s legs up so that he was exposed and laid bare for him. He placed a sweet kiss on Leo’s stomach before sliding his dick into his younger brother. Leo clenched his teeth and dug his nails into Xander’s skin at the intrusion, somehow managing to make minimal noise as he was penetrated.

“Xan,” he moaned weakly, burying his face into the crook of the Alpha’s neck and biting into his shoulder to silence his moans. He felt stretched to the brim, forgetting after 3 months how large Xander was and after so long, it felt impossible for the Alpha to fit.

“Relax,” Xander cooed, brushing through Leo’s hair in an attempt to de-stress him. Leo let out another ragged breath and tried to loosen his muscles. As he did, Xander pushed deeper inside of him, exhaling as Leo took all of him. When he was fully sheathed, the younger blonde laid on his back, preparing for the inevitable pounding.

Xander slowly rolled his hips into Leo’s heat, driving his length deeper into his lover. Leo opened his mouth in a soundless moan and tossed his head back, exposing his neck. Xander leant down to mark his neck, and was slightly surprised when he had trouble due to the swell of Leo’s abdomen. Because of his height, it wasn’t a problem, but the changes in Leo’s body because of their child were unexpected. Leo brought their lips together, mingling their tongues together.

“Haah…aahh,” Leo breathed as Xander thrusted into him. He was slightly perturbed by the taste of himself on his brother’s lips, but he ignored it, more focused on their shared pleasure.

The older blonde shushed him and pressed their chests together, Leo’s stomach leaving unwanted space between them. He picked up his pace, loving the feeling of Leo’s walls squeezing his dick as the younger blonde hitched his legs around the Alpha’s strong hips.

Their love-making was relatively soundless, the rhythmic slapping of skin on skin and breathless moans becoming the music of their passion. Their releases came suddenly. For Leo, after months of sexual inactivity, and Xander’s little experiment, his limit was reached fairly quickly.

The two collapsed on the bed, panting after they both rode out their releases while they waited for the knot to soften.

“We should do that more,” Leo breathed. Xander chuckled.

“I’m glad you liked it. Niles actually suggested it to me.”

Leo nearly screamed in mortification. He did not want to picture his best friend and retainer giving sex tips to his lover, who also happened to be the crown prince, no matter how well they worked.

\---------------

They spent the next few days in bliss, Xander shirking off his responsibilities to Nohr for the first time in his whole life, and Leo admired how radiant the Alpha could be when unencumbered by morally ambiguous demands. He was showing a softness that was always present at the surface underneath the stony exterior of being crown prince. Leo found himself itching for Xander to be king and for the pointless war raging between Hoshido and Nohr to end. He loved his father the way a son should, but he knew King Garon had changed from the kind man he used to be, and he was fed up with the pointless fighting. If Xander could be king, why shouldn’t he be on the throne now? Nohr needed a loving and firm ruler like Xander, and Leo’s heart ached for the opportunity to be open with his relationship.

“Leo? What are you thinking of?”

The younger prince shook his head.

They were sitting under the same tree in the back of the cottage. Xander was reading a book on linguistics as he gently combed through the Omega’s starlight hair. Leo’s head was in his lap and his eyes were shut to the rays of sunlight streaming through green leaves. He hadn’t felt this contented since he was younger, and his only worries were working harder at his tomes to best his older siblings. He let soft purrs escape as he felt wholly pleased, listening to the sounds of nature and Xander occasionally muttering a statement from his book aloud.

“How’d you know I was thinking of anything in the first place?” Leo replied softly, his words running together slightly as he let the laziness of their surroundings encompass him.

“Well, you are always thinking about something,” Xander said, twirling some of Leo’s soft hair around his finger. “And I have been watching your face. Your eyebrows creased like you were worried about something.”

Leo cracked open his dark brown eyes to look up at his brother, whose form was illuminated by the bright sunlight.

“I thought you were reading your book?” he questioned, drinking in the way the sunlight made Xander look as if he were golden, blonde curls glittering in the light.

“I was,” he breathed, “but watching you was much more interesting.”

Leo could feel his cheeks color and he closed his eyes again.

“Weirdo,” he joked, a small smile playing on his lips.

Xander looked impossibly more attractive when he wasn’t always scowling. The seemingly permanent crease in his eyebrows was smoothed out, and he looked devilishly attractive and also younger. Despite being a few years older than him, Xander’s hard expressions made it seem at least a decade of experience was in between them. But now, he looked like the charming and loving big brother Leo could remember from his childhood, as opposed to the cold man being groomed to be the king of a hostile territory.

They stayed in silence once more, and Leo could hear approaching footsteps on the soft grass as he focused on the moment.

“Mind if I join you?”

Elise’s voice shocked Xander; Leo could feel him jump under him, but he was sure the movement was so subtle their younger sister probably didn’t notice.

“Of course, Elise,” he said warmly and Leo looked her way in affirmation. Excitedly, she rested her head on Leo’s stomach and laid down with her siblings.

Elise and Leo had never been super close. Of course, Elise was always very cheerful and full of love for her brothers and sisters, and Leo loved her back, but seeing the two Omegas snuggled up together made Xander smile. He couldn’t think of a time before where he could say he would be peacefully relaxing with his youngest siblings like this.

“I went into the village today to buy some fish,” Elise started, “And Travis had a WHOLE boat full! Apparently the fishing has been really good lately.”

“Is that so?” Leo replied, adjusting comfortably to the other Omega’s presence. Elise hummed and continued to rattle on about her day and all the training she had been doing as the town healer. Leo was only half-listening to her, focused more on relishing the moment, when he felt a strange stirring sensation come from his stomach. He gasped sharply and sat up, startling his two siblings and accidentally pushing Elise off of him.

“What’s wrong?” Xander asked panicked, and Elise stared at him wide-eyed.

The sensation wasn’t unpleasant, it was a little like a small flutter in his body and after a few moments he realized what he was feeling was his child.

“Is everything okay?” Elise asked after a moment’s hesitation.

“Yeah, yeah,” Leo breathed, realizing that he had accidentally worried his siblings with his reaction. After knowing what he was feeling was a great indicator, he sighed, trying to calm his own racing heart. “They’re moving.”

Both Xander and Elise started talking at once, but Elise won out, exclaiming excitedly.

“Leo! We thought something bad happened! Can you feel it? Are they moving now?!” she asked. Leo looked over to his mate, his hand still over his stomach.

“Sorry. Yeah they’re still moving,” he responded, a little overwhelmed by the experience. With his first pregnancy, their child didn’t last long enough for him to feel any movement, so being able to feel life inside of him was momentous.

“Does it hurt?” Xander asked worriedly, his characteristic creases in his brow. Leo was confused until he felt tears fall from his face. He wiped them away, a little embarrassed that he was moved to tears.

“N-no, it doesn’t hurt,” he replied, his voice faltering as he welled with emotions. Elise wrapped her arms around him and awed at his antics.

“Leo’s just happy!” she said, rubbing her face on his arm and putting calming Omega pheromones into the air. Despite trying to control himself, the tears wouldn’t stop coming and the younger prince’s breath hitched.

“I-I’m sorry, I can’t stop, _gods_ ,” he said irritated, and Xander hugged him also. Within the embrace of his siblings and the soft fluttering of his child inside of him, Leo was the happiest man on the planet.


End file.
